{"id":10582,"date":"2026-05-21T16:12:18","date_gmt":"2026-05-21T16:12:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/?p=10582"},"modified":"2026-05-21T16:12:18","modified_gmt":"2026-05-21T16:12:18","slug":"parents-blast-xavier-becerra-over-meta-backed-pac-in-governor-race","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/?p=10582","title":{"rendered":"Parents blast Xavier Becerra over Meta-backed PAC in governor race"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <div style=\"display: grid; grid-template-columns: 300px 160px; gap: 2px; width: 460px; background: #eee; padding: 2px;\">\r\n\r\n  <!-- \u6574\u884c\u5bbd\u5e7f\u544a -->\r\n  <div style=\"grid-column: 1\/-1; width: 460px; height: 250px; background: #ccc; display: grid; place-items: center;\">\r\n  <script async type=\"application\/javascript\" src=\"https:\/\/a.magsrv.com\/ad-provider.js\"><\/script> \r\n <ins class=\"eas6a97888e2\" data-zoneid=\"5876674\"><\/ins> \r\n <script>(AdProvider = window.AdProvider || []).push({\"serve\": {}});<\/script>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n  <div style=\"grid-column: 1\/-1; width: 460px; height: 90px; background: #ccc; display: grid; place-items: center;\">\r\n  <script async type=\"application\/javascript\" src=\"https:\/\/a.magsrv.com\/ad-provider.js\"><\/script> \r\n <ins class=\"eas6a97888e2\" data-zoneid=\"5876676\"><\/ins> \r\n <script>(AdProvider = window.AdProvider || []).push({\"serve\": {}});<\/script>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n\r\n  <!-- \u5de6\u4fa7\u7ad6\u6392 -->\r\n  <div style=\"height: 250px; background: #ccc; display: grid; place-items: center;\">\r\n  <script async type=\"application\/javascript\" src=\"https:\/\/a.magsrv.com\/ad-provider.js\"><\/script> \r\n <ins class=\"eas6a97888e2\" data-zoneid=\"5876672\"><\/ins> \r\n <script>(AdProvider = window.AdProvider || []).push({\"serve\": {}});<\/script>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n  <div style=\"height: 500px; background: #ccc; display: grid; place-items: center;\">\r\n  <script async type=\"application\/javascript\" src=\"https:\/\/a.magsrv.com\/ad-provider.js\"><\/script> \r\n <ins class=\"eas6a97888e2\" data-zoneid=\"5876680\"><\/ins> \r\n <script>(AdProvider = window.AdProvider || []).push({\"serve\": {}});<\/script>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n\r\n  <!-- \u53f3\u4fa7\u6469\u5929\u697c\uff08\u548c\u5de6\u4fa7\u5b8c\u5168\u5bf9\u9f50\uff09 -->\r\n  <div style=\"grid-row: 3\/5; height: 750px; background: #ccc; display: grid; place-items: center;\">\r\n  <script async type=\"application\/javascript\" src=\"https:\/\/a.magsrv.com\/ad-provider.js\"><\/script> \r\n <ins class=\"eas6a97888e2\" data-zoneid=\"5876678\"><\/ins> \r\n <script>(AdProvider = window.AdProvider || []).push({\"serve\": {}});<\/script>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n  \r\n  <script async type=\"application\/javascript\" src=\"https:\/\/a.magsrv.com\/ad-provider.js\"><\/script> \r\n <ins class=\"eas6a97888e6\" data-zoneid=\"5876682\"><\/ins> \r\n <script>(AdProvider = window.AdProvider || []).push({\"serve\": {}});<\/script>\r\n<\/div><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p>In his long political career, Democratic governor hopeful Xavier Becerra has occasionally taken aim at Meta \u2014\u00a0but not nearly enough, say the devastated parents of teens who died after falling victim to social media addiction. <\/p>\n<p>Those parents are now saying Becerra can\u2019t be trusted after Meta, which was found liable for hurting kids with deliberately addictive features at a landmark trial this year, poured nearly $1 million into an independent PAC supporting his bid for governor.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhy is he going to align himself with a company proven in a court of law to have hurt kids, profited off of it, and then lied about it?\u201d said Julianna Arnold, a grieving mother turned parent activist.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>Julianna Arnold, a grieving mom turned parent activist, is \u201cdisappointed\u201d by Meta\u2019s support of Xavier Becerra\u2019s bid.  <span class=\"credit\">Andy Johnstone for CA Post<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Arnold\u2019s 17-year-old daughter, Coco, died after she met an older man on Instagram who \u201cgroomed\u201d her and gave her a pill she believed was Percocet to relieve her anxiety. <\/p>\n<p>She died of fentanyl poisoning. <\/p>\n<aside class=\"single__inline-module aligncenter wp-block-nypost-editor-primary-tag\">\n<\/aside>\n<p>Like countless other kids, Coco had been sucked in by the photo-sharing app\u2019s addictive features \u2014 deliberately designed by Meta to keep users hooked, advocates say.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s really disappointing,\u201d Arnold said. <\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>Coco Konar struggled with anxiety fueled by social media and died of fentanyl poisoning at age 17. <span class=\"credit\">Courtesy of Julianna Arnold<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cI understand that California is home to Big Tech, but it\u2019s a little shocking that [Becerra] would take $1 million from Meta when in August his own state will be suing them on behalf of children.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Meta was held liable in a Los Angeles jury trial in March for negligent platform design, including autoplay and \u201cinfinite scroll\u201d features, that wrecked a young woman\u2019s mental health starting when she was a teen. <\/p>\n<p>In a related case in New Mexico, Meta was found liable under state claims related to risks of Instagram use and hit with a civil penalty of $375 million. Meta is appealing both verdicts.<\/p>\n<div class=\"single__inline-module inline-module inline-module--newsletter aligncenter inline-module--nypostbusinessunit aligncenter wp-block-nypost-editor-newsletter\" data-source-unit=\"Inline Newsletter Module Cali - Morning Report\">\n<div class=\"inline-module__inner\">\n<div class=\"inline-module__title-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"inline-module__unsubmitted-title-wrapper\">\n<h3 class=\"inline-module__title headline headline--combo-sm-md\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tSign up for the California Morning Report newsletter\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/h3>\n<p class=\"inline-module__cta\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tCalifornia&#8217;s top news, sports and entertainment delivered to your inbox every day.\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><h3 class=\"inline-module__title headline headline--combo-sm-md\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\tThanks for signing up!\t\t\t\t\t<\/h3>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>Becerra\u2019s campaign said it has \u201cno control\u201d over the $1 million Meta donation.  <span class=\"credit\">Noah Berger for CA Post<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>In a statement, Becerra\u2019s campaign spokesperson Jonathan Underland said he has \u201cno control or influence over donations to independent expenditures,\u201d which are barred from coordinating with candidates. <\/p>\n<p>But social media survivors say the hefty donation is symptomatic of a broken system in which companies believe they can ward off regulations with big checks.<\/p>\n<p>VIctoria Hinks, a Bay Area mom, said she watched her \u201chappy, joyful, kind and beautiful\u201d 16-year-old daughter Alexandra become depressed and withdrawn after spending time on social media, despite she and her software engineer husband\u2019s diligent attempts to monitor tech use in the home.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>Victoria Hinks pictured with her \u201cbeautiful, kind\u201d daughter Alexandra, who died at age 16. <span class=\"credit\">Courtesy of Victoria Hinks<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Hinks said her kind and empathetic daughter, who would be graduating high school this month, was bombarded with disturbing content that \u201cnormalized\u201d eating disorders and suicide as a solution to life\u2019s problems. <\/p>\n<p>She died by suicide in 2024.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cKids are dying. This is an epidemic,\u201d Hinks said in an interview. \u201cEvery other industry has regulations \u2026 my daughter couldn\u2019t even get into an R-rated movie at the theater she worked at.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>Alexandra, seen as a child in San Francisco, was served content about self-harm on social media.  <span class=\"credit\">Courtesy of Victoria Hinks<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Hinks and Arnold are now part of Parents RISE!, a parent-led group demanding stricter regulation of social media and AI tools. <\/p>\n<p>Hinks called the $1 million Meta donation \u201cpolitics at its worst\u201d that indicates the controversial firm believes Becerra will be \u201csoft on Big Tech.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey\u2019re betting he\u2019s going to have Zuckerberg\u2019s back and not ours,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>Meta was found liable for negligent platform design in a landmark jury trial.  <span class=\"credit\">REUTERS<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Becerra\u2019s campaign pointed to a multistate antitrust action over Facebook\u2019s acquisition of Instagram and WhatsApp, carried out when he was California attorney general, as evidence of his independence. <\/p>\n<p>The former Health and Human Services secretary also called on Meta to combat \u201chate and disinformation\u201d during the Covid pandemic in a letter, though it\u2019s not immediately clear what came of the demand. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cXavier Becerra has never been bought by a check, and his record proves it,\u201d Underland said. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnyone who threatens Californians\u2019 safety or quality of life will answer for it,\u201d he continued.<\/p>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Download The California Post App, follow us on social, and subscribe to our newsletters <\/strong><\/h2>\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<p><strong>California Post News<\/strong>: Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X, YouTube, WhatsApp, LinkedIn<br \/><strong>California Post Sports<\/strong> Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, X<br \/><strong>California Post  <\/strong>Opinion <br \/><strong>California Post Newsletters<\/strong>: Sign up here!<br \/><strong>California Post App<\/strong>: Download here!<br \/><strong>Home delivery<\/strong>: Sign up here!<br \/><strong>Page Six Hollywood<\/strong>: Sign up here!<\/p>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n<\/div>\n<p>But Arnold and Hinks say now isn\u2019t the time for business as usual \u2014 as artificial intelligence tools threaten to turbo-charge young kids\u2019 reliance on tech that can warp their minds.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe need a governor who isn\u2019t afraid to speak truth to power, and [Becerra] is going to be beholden to them if they\u2019re giving him that much money,\u201d Hinks said. <\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>Meta is \u201cbetting\u201d that Becerra will side with Zuckerberg instead of worried parents, Hinks said.  <span class=\"credit\">REUTERS<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Arnold said she won\u2019t rest until politicians understand that you can side with Big Tech or parents \u2014 but not both. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s out job to call this out and keep on fighting,\u201d she said.  <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><script async defer src=\"https:\/\/platform.instagram.com\/en_US\/embeds.js\"><\/script><br \/>\n<br \/><!-- \u603b\u5bb9\u5668\uff1a\u6700\u5927\u5bbd908px Grid\u7d27\u51d1\u5e03\u5c40 -->\r\n<div style=\"display: grid; 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